Science Common Sense

1649 - What is the law of conservation of energy and give examples.

The law of conservation of energy is a rule in science that says energy can't be created or destroyed, it can only change from one form to another.

Here are some examples:

1. Roller Coaster: When a roller coaster is at the top of a hill, it has a lot of "potential" energy. As it rolls down, that energy turns into "kinetic" energy (moving energy). The total energy stays the same, but it changes from one form to another.
2. Playing Soccer: When you kick a soccer ball, your body uses "chemical" energy from the food you ate. That energy becomes kinetic energy (the ball moving), and as the ball moves, it becomes potential energy if it goes up into the air.
3. Battery Charging: When you charge your phone or toy, you're turning "electrical" energy from the outlet into "chemical" energy in the battery. Then, when you use your phone or toy, the chemical energy turns back into electrical energy.
4. Bouncing Ball: When a ball bounces, some of the kinetic energy turns into "sound" energy (the noise you hear) and "heat" energy (the ball heats up), but the ball still has kinetic energy making it bounce.

In all these examples, the energy changes forms, but it doesn't disappear or get created – it's always there, just in a different way.